Gaming machines which provide players awards in primary or base games are well known. Gaming machines generally require the player to place or make a wager to activate the primary or base game. In many of these gaming machines, the award is based on the player obtaining a winning symbol or symbol combination and on the amount of the wager (e.g., the higher the wager, the higher the award). Symbols or symbol combinations which are less likely to occur usually provide higher awards.
In certain known gaming machines, the amount of the wager made on the base game by the player may vary. For instance, the gaming machine may enable the player to wager a minimum number of credits, such as one credit (e.g., one penny, nickel, dime, quarter or dollar) up to a maximum number of credits, such as five credits. This wager may be made by the player a single time or multiple times in a single play of the primary game. For instance, a slot game may have one or more paylines and the slot game may enable the player to make a wager on each payline in a single play of the primary game. Thus, it is known that a gaming machine, such as a slot game, may enable players to make wagers of substantially different amounts on each play of the primary or base game ranging, for example, from 1 credit up to 125 credits (e.g., 5 credits on each of 25 separate paylines). This is also true for other wagering games, such as video draw poker, where players can wager one or more credits on each hand and where multiple hands can be played simultaneously. Accordingly, it should be appreciated that different players play at substantially different wagering amounts or levels and at substantially different rates of play.
Secondary or bonus games are also known in gaming machines. The secondary or bonus games usually provide an additional award to the player. Secondary or bonus games usually do not require an additional wager by the player to be activated. Secondary or bonus games are generally activated or triggered upon an occurrence of a designated triggering symbol or triggering symbol combination in the primary or base game. For instance, a bonus symbol occurring on the payline on the third reel of a three reel slot machine may trigger the secondary bonus game. Part of the enjoyment and excitement of playing certain gaming machines is the occurrence or triggering of the secondary or bonus game (even before the player knows how much the bonus award will be). In other words, obtaining a bonus event and a bonus award in the bonus event contributes to player enjoyment and excitement.
Other known gaming devices simultaneously display and enable a player to simultaneously wager on two or more primary games. One known gaming device enables a player to choose and play more than one game at a time. However, each of these games is independent of the other games and the outcome of one game does not affect the outcome of another. In another known gaming device, a player wagers on three five card poker hands. A first row of five cards is dealt face up and second and third rows of five cards are dealt face down. The player may hold one or more of the face up cards from the first row. The cards the player holds are duplicated in their corresponding vertical position in the second and third rows. Replacement cards for the non-selected cards in the first row are dealt. The face down cards in each of the second and third hands are turned face up. Each five card hand is evaluated individually for winning poker combinations and the player is provided with an award for any winning poker hands based on a paytable and the amount of the player's wager on each respective poker hand. While these hands are linked by the duplication step, the outcome of one game does not affect the paytable of another game.
A need exists for new and different gaming devices and methods that enable a player to play multiple games.